Gas and oil separator



June 21,1927.

G. A. OVERSTROM ET AL GAS AND OIL SEPARATOR Filed July 5, 1923 3 Sheetg-Sheet 1 2 pg ATTORNE 1,632,919 G. A. OVERSTROM ET AL GAS AND OIL SEPARATOR Filed July 5, 19 5 Shets-Sheec 2 June 21, 1927.

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v 'G. A. OVERSTROM ET AL GAS AND OIL SEPARA'IOR Filed July 5, 1925 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 a-mueuboz8 Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cus'ravn A. ovnas'rnomt, or LOS ANGELES, AND GEORGE ovnasrnou, or run,

CALIFORNIA.

Gas AND 01;. snrnrm'ron.

Application filed July 5, 1923. Serial No. 649,896.

This invention relates to separators and or other foreign substanc es, usually found in admixture with each other in the products issuing from oil wells.

The object of the invention is to provide a separator which is simple in construction, economical to build and efficient 1n operation.

A further object is to provide a separator for the purpose referred to which requires no adjustments, pivoted parts or levers, hose (connections, stuffing boxes, or like parts liable to wear or injury other foreign matter to be treated. l

from the sand and present in the material ration therefrom material.

of water, sand and other A further object is to provide a trap structure or separator of the nature referred to in which the operation may be carried out under conditions of pressure or vacuum.

A further object is to provide a structure more fully hereinafter.

i .The invention consists substantiallyin the construction, combination, location and relati've arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings,

out in-the appended claims.

and finally pointed In the accompanying'idrawings- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a trap or separator structure embodying the principles of our invention.

Fig; 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal central section of the. same.

Fig. 2 is a broken detail view in sectioh illustrating a slightly modified arrangement of air relief for the float.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section, on the line 33, Fig. 2,1ooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in secg. 2, looking in the -ation un Fig. 5 is a broken viewin longitudinal central section showing a slightly. modified arrangement.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a trap or separator specially designed for operation under vacuum.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a structure embodying our invention wherein, under abnormally, high pressures and large volumes of output from a Well when initially brought in, the gas outlet is closed.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing two tanks in tandem, for caring for abnormally high .initial pressures and volumes.

The same part is designated by the same 7 reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

Theproducts obtained from oil wells, consisting principall of oil and gas, frequently carry water, san and other foreign matter which must be separated out andthe oil and gas products separated from each other. The problem of eflicient separation of these substances is far fromsimple. In the first place, a separator or trap, in order tobe efficient, must not only be simple and cheap to build, but it must be rugged, strong and durable in .order to enable it' to withstand the rough usage to which it is subjected, as well as varying conditions of pressure encountered in the case of different wells and indifferent localities. Moreover, since the oil and gas products from oil wells usually carry sand and other foreign matter, a trap or separator must be free from moving parts, pivots, stufling boxes, hose connections, and the like, which are liable to rapid wear and, injury from the cutting action of the sand. The separation of the various constituents of the oil well product must be eflected without loss-of the valuable oil contained therein, and the apparatus should be capable of operer the conditions of pressure or 10 designates the separator tank into whlch the material to be separatedv is supplied through pipe connection 11. It is preferred that the material be delivered tangentially into the tank 10 in order to impart a swirling motion to such material, thereby facilitating the settling down of the sand and like contents of the mass. To accomplish this we place a deflector or shield 12 on the inside of the tank over the orifice of the supply pipe. connection 11. The gas delivered along with the oil and other substances into the tank 10 readily separates out and ascends into the upper end of the tank and passes out through the opening 13 in the top of the tank. Such gases frequently carry along with them oil or oil vapor and in order to prevent losses of oil from this cause we provide the upper end of the tank on the interior thereof with a series of baflles 14, 15, which, in the articular arrangement shown, are dispose in nested relation to each other, alternate baflles being open at their centers, while the intermediate ones are closed at their centers, the gases being compelled to flow around the edges or rims thereof. These baflles thus provide a tortuous path for the gases and hence permit'any oi vapors or particles of oil to separate out by gravity from the gases. If desired, the upper end of the tank may contain mineral wool, broken stones, glass or the like, to still further insure against the loss of oil or oil'va ors mechanically suspended in and carrie by the gas.

. Disposed in the lower part of the tank is a float member 16 in the form of a hollow body closed at both ends and formed with a space 17 at the axial center thereof which space is closed at its upper endby a cap 18, and is open at its lower end. The lower closed end ofthe float body 16 is formed with an annu' Extending into the tan r through its lower end 18 a pipe connection 20, which extends upwardly into the axial space 17, said pipe connection being open at its upper end. Co-

operating with the open end 0 the pipe connection 20 is a valve 21, which is carried by the cap 18, said valve seating downwardly. The float member or body 16 is normally held'by gravity in position for th valve 21 to seat in the open end of pipe connection 20 and close the same, but said float body is capable of rising under its own buoyancy when partially submerged in oil so as to cause said valve'21 to raise froin its seat in the open end of said pipe 20. The float body may e prevented in any convenient manner from rising too high. We have shown a ,cross strut 22 forthis purpose, said strut being secured to the inside wall of tank 10. To provide a yielding cushion for the float body aspring 23 is. interposed between the float body 10 and the strut 22. When in operation the float body 16 is subject to up and down fluctuations or movements. The

I spring 23 serves .to cushion the upward movements of the float body, The annular;

depression or space 19 in the bottom surface of the float body traps gas or air therein, thereby serving-as a cushion for the downward movements of the float body to prevent. the too violent'seating of the valve 21. We do not desire, however, to be restricted to this particular arrangement for securin the desired cushionin of themovements o the float body. The oat body may be guided in its up and down movements in any suitable or convenient manner. We have shown an illustrative arrangement for this pur ose, wherein the walls of. the central space 1 are provided at the to and bottom with spaced centering and gui ing lugs or projections 24, which coo erate with the pipe section 17 to guide the oat body. I

At its lower end the tank is contracted into a narrowed neck portion 25, longitudinally through which the pipe section 20 extends, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, the extreme lower end of the contracted neck portion '25 being deflected laterally, as indicated at 26, for connection, to a delivery pipe 27. If desired, however, the pipe connection 20 may be deflected laterally, as indicated at 28, and the delivery end of the narrowed neck portion 25 continued straight, as indicated at 29, Fi 5.

The delivery end 29, or the delivery connection 26, 27, delivers into an auxiliary tank 30, equipped, desired, with an 3.11 rel ef valve 31 in its top, a level gauge '32, a discharge connection 33, and a water supply pipe connection 34.

If desired, and preferably, the cap 18 is provided with anoair relief valve 35 to prevent the trapping of air or gas in the upper portion of the space 17, although the pres- 1 ence-of a certain amount of air or gas in the upper part of this space is not undesirable as it forms a cushion to aid the air cushion formed by the channel or depression 19 in the bottom surface of the float body.

The pipe 20 is preferably formed lnto a U-bend, as indicated at 36, and, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1,. the outer leg of this bend is brought to a desired height with reference to the normal flow level of the oil contained in the tank 10, where theoperation of the apparatus is effected, under pressure. The various pipe connections are rovided with control valves 37, 38. 39, 40 an 43, and the float body 16 is provided with an' air relief valve 41, where the operation is effooted under vacuum (see Fig." 6). If de sired, this air relief may be afiorded'by a' embodying our invention, we will now describe its operation under varying conditions and degrees of pressure or vacuum.

In designing and arranging the apparatus for operation under pressure conditions, the float body with its flow control valve 21 is arranged to be direct acting to close the pipe connection under all pressures at, say, about forty percent of submergence of the float body, the valve to open against a maximum pressure of, say, twent -five pounds pressure, a desirable allowance eing made for varyingquantities of oil product to be handled. The upper end of the pipe connection 20 (Fig. 1) to be slightly higher than the flow level of the oil in the tank at twenty-five pounds pressure. This arrangement prevents a too easily fluctuation, or rising and falling, movement of the float body. The cushion spring 23 serves to prevent the float body from reacting too strong.

ly at the instant the valve 21 opens.

Let us suppose that the apparatus be operated with the gas at substantially atmospheric pressure, the tank to be empty and the apparatus ready to be put into operation. The weight of the float keeps the valve 21 seated. The oil and gas, carrying sand and perhaps other substances, are delivered into the tank through the supply connection 11, being given a swirling motion by reason of the tangential delivery into the tank due to the baflle or deflector plate 12. The gas constituent finds-a path to the outlet opening 13 in the top of the tank through and around the baflles 14, 15, any mechanically suspended oil vapors being separated therefrom as above described. The oil, sand and other solid or liquid matter drop to the bottom of the tank and fills it up to the submergence or buoyant level of the float. The float will rise when the oil level in. the tank reaches a suflicient heighttherein for said float to become buoyant and it will continue to rise as the height of the oil in the tank increases, until the float rise is arrested by the stop afforded by the cross strut 22. The rise of the float unseats the valve 21, but the oil will not flow oil through the pipe connection 20 until it reaches the level of the upper open end of said pipe connection. When this height is reached the oil flow from the tank through the pipe connection will commence and thereafter the oil will rise in the tank only to such a height or level as to create a head sufficient to maintain the flow. This level may be called the atmospheric flow level and itcorresponds very closely to the valve opening level at or against twenty-five pounds pressure. When the flow of oil from the tank through the pipe connect-ion '20 ceases the float will again descend and cause the valve 21 to close the pipe connect-ion.

Suppose the apparatus isto be operated under a pressure condition oftwo pounds .under a pressure of twenty-five pounds.

this case we have a seating force applied to per square inch and assuming that the tank is empty and the apparatus is ready for operation. The oil and gas together with sand and other foreign matter are supplied to the tank and the gas separates and flows out through the opening in the top of the tank, as before explained. Assuming the. Weight of the float to be 154 pounds, and the unbalanced area thereof to be eight square inches, then we have the combined weight of the float and the pressure on the unbalanced area. thereof as a force to hold the valve 21 in seated or closed position; that is, we have a force of 154 pounds plus 8 times 2, or one hundred and seventy pounds, tending to keep the valve closed when the tank is empty. When the oil rises in the tank until it reaches the bottom of the float, the level of the oil in the tank on the outer side of the float will remain at the level of the bottom of the float until a column of oil rises within the space 17. When this column rises and fills the space 17 with oil and compressed air, the level of the oil in the tank at the outer side of the float will thenrise, butthe valve 21 will not be unseated until the level of the oil in the tank rises sufiiciently high to overnection 20 will start, and Will continue as long as the conditions mentioned are maintained. Thus the level of the oil in the tank will fluctuate up and down'in the tank during the flow through the pipe 20 within the range, ofjthe buoyancy level of the float to a height of 1% inches above that level, the valve approaching its closed position as the buoyancy level is approached, and opening wider as the height of level of the oil in the tank increases above the plane of ,float buoyancy level. The valve therefore acts as a re ducing valve, remaining more widely open when the flow of oil from the tank through pipe 20 is large, and more nearly closed when such flow is small.

Now suppose the apparatus is to operaIte n the valve when the tank is empty, of the weight of the float say, for example, 154 pounds plus eight times twenty-five, or two hundred lbs.-,' a total of 354 pounds. Under these conditions when the oil reaches the buoyancy level of the float there is still a' pressure of 200 lbs. applied to the float to hold the valve seated. This is equivalent to, 15,667 cubic inches of oil, and consequently a height of oil level in the tank of very nearly 16 inches (15.7 to beexact) above the buoyancy level of the float is re uired to cause the valve to open against lbs. pressure. The oil level under these conditions will fluctuate within this range of 16 inches, according to the volume of flow from the tank through the pipe 20, the higher the level the reater will be the volume of flow and. the ower the level the lower the volume of flow. No matter what the pressure is the oil level in the tank will not fall below the buoyancy level of the float, for the reason that as soon as it does fall below that level the valve closes and the height of level of the oil in the tank again rises, the valve remaining closed until the oil level rises sufficiently to overcome the unbalanced pressure. Here again the float becomes balanced as soon as the valve opens, and fluctu-' ates up and down, according to the conditions which render the same balanced.

Suppose it is desired to operate the apparatus under vacuum.- Starting with the tank empty, and assuming the same weight and unbalanced area of float as in the examples above given, and a vacuum force of ten pounds per square inch, we have, then, a a suction force of 8 x 10 or 80 lbs. per square inch tending to lift thefioat. The oil and gas are delivered into the tank and the level of the .oil rises until the combined force of the suction and buo ancyof the float causes the latter to rise and unseat the valve. The weight to be'lifted by the buoyancy of the float in this case is 154-80, or 74. lbs. and this will require'a height level of. oil in the tank of only six inches above the bottom of the float. Any air or gas tra ped in the space 17 may be eliminated by t e small air valve 41 (see Fig. 6). Preferably this valve should automatically close when the apparatus is operated under pressure, and open when operating under vacuum. The draft pipe 45 fills as soon as the oillevel in the tankreaches the upper open end of pi e 20. This establishes a syphonic flow of t e oil from the tank, which is maintained by the head of the oil in the tank above the height of the delivery end of ipe 45. If this height distance is, say, three eet, the head pressure will be about 1 lbs. pressure. This pres- Sure combines with the weight of the float in tending to pull the float down when the valve is closed before starting the vacuum but is absorbed by frictionithrough the valve after starting the vacuum, so that the float becomes balanced, as in the case of operation under ressure. When the flow, of Oll ceases the va ve closes, and it is only necessary to raise the float throu h a height of about one inch to secure ful volume of fiow under'the conditions assumed. v

Suppose it is desired to operate under a vacuum of only one pound. The tank and the draft pipe 45 will fill up, as above described, but now we have about 24 feet ex- ,cess head pressure or about 9 lbs. per square inch on the draft pi e 45 and the unbalanced area of the float. his means the lifting or only 72 lbs. weight to open the valve. Under these conditions a U-bend 36 is necessary in order to prevent entrance of air which W111 destroy the syphonic flow. The 72 lbs. weight to beraised equals about 5.62 inches of displacement of the float so that the extreme variation in level of the oil in the tank will be about six inches,

Whether working under pressure or under vacuum the sand and other solid matter and any watercontained in the oil and gas sup ply to the tank will settle into the restricted lower portion of the tank and pass from the tank through the connection 26, or 29. These connections deliver to an auxiliary tank or sand drum 30. The control valve 38 in the connections between the two tanks enables such connections to be closed so as to enable the sand and other sediment to be drawnoff from tank 30 whether the opera tion of the apparatus is under pressure or vacuum, without loss. By piping water into the tank 30, the accomulated sand and sediment collected-in said tank may be washed out.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we provide a trap or separating apparatus which is equally well adapted for operation under ressure or under vacuum. The oil flow is rst in a rising column in the tank and this very greatly facilitates the settling and precipitation of sand and other solid matter. There are no joints or hose connections and no stufling boxes to wear out. No adjustments are re uired and the apparatus works continuous y and automatically. There is no loss of 011 and no ex osure of the oil to the 8.11.

11 some regions it sometimes happens that I a a high pressure exists in oil wells when first brought in, and in some instances the gas, 0 11 and water mix'ture comes from the wells 1n shes. In such cases the mixture comes rom the wells under excessively high pressure and in large volume so that a trap or separator of ordinary size and capacity is unable to handle the well output, the trap or separator becoming filled up faster than separation can be efiected, the result being that the oil is delivered or forced out throng the gas outlet. Various attempts have been made to overcome this objection, but, so far- I as we are aware, the expedients heretofore resorted to comprise more or less compli' cated pivot stems of floats and regulators, with parts and. levers to automatically shut ofi the as line when a certain pressure is developed in the tank, thereb compelling the gas to be driven through t e oil outlet along with the oil- This a normal ouditwn of pressure and volume of output in the case of a new well when first brought in usually continues for a few days or weeks and then the flow settles down to a more or less normal condition whereupon the normal operation of the trap is resumed. And in the case of gushing wells the output comes more or less intermittently in surges or impulses of greater or less duration when abnormal pressure and volume conditions are encountered. In order to meet these conditions in a simple and eflicient manner, without complicated regulator or valve operating connections, pivoted levers or the like, we propose to mount a valve 51, see Figs. 7 and 8, directly upon the float 16, and arrange the same to cooperate with the gas outlet 13 to close the latter when a predetermined volume of oil accumulates in the tank. Thus both the gas outlet and oil outlet control valves 51, 21, are carried directly by the float and they should be so arranged as to prevent the gas outlet from being closed during the time the apparatus is working under normal conditions, and to close the gas outlet when abnormal pressure and volume conditions are encountered. When the gas outlet control valve is closed the oil and gas are both forced out through the oil outlet.

In case it becomes desirable to separate and save any gas thus escaping from the tank along with the oil, we provide the arrangement shown in diagram in Fig. 8, wherein two or more tanks are connected up in tandem, the gas and oil delivery pipe 52 from the first tank becoming the delivery.

connection into the second one. In this case the connection 52 should be of smaller cross sectional area than the oil outlet connection 53 from the second tank. Thus the first tank becomes a high pressure tank while the second one becomes a low pressure tank, the first one permitting normal operation until the gas outlet is closed and thereafter acting as a pressure reducer for the second tank. It is obvious that additional tanks may be thus coupled up in series where the conditions of pressure and volume of output from the well may require it. As soon as the pressure and volume conditions again become normal the additional tanks or reservoirs may be disconnected and removed.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of our invention,'we wish it to be understood that many variations and changes in the details might readily occur to ersons skilled in .the art and still fall wit in the spirit and scope of our invention. We do not desire, therefore, to be limited to theexact details shown and described.

But what we claim as new and useful and of our joint invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto and a gas outlet in its top, a delivery pipe connection extending into the tank through the bottom thereof, a float arranged in the tank and carrying a valve to control the upper open end of said delivery pipe, said float arranged to encompass said delivery pipe and to provide a space therebetween and float guides in said space.

2. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection theret0,'and a gas outlet in its top, an oil delivery pipe extending into the tank, a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe and into which said pipe opensand a valve carried by said float to control the inner open end of said pipe.

' 3. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, a shield for said supply connection, a gas outlet at one end of said tank, a delivery pipe extending into the tank through the other end, and a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom and carrying a valve to control the inner open end of said pipe for delivering the separated oil, said supply, connection shield effecting delivery tangentially into said tank.-

4. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet 111 its top, a delivery pipe extending into the tank through the bottom thereof, and a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom and carrying a valve to control the inner open end of said pipe, the upper part of said tank having bafile members through and the gas around which the gas flows towards outlet.

5. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a suppl connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a delivery pipe extending into the tank through the bottom thereof, a normally aunbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom, a valve within the float to control the inner open end of said pipe, and means to cushion the up and down movements of the float.

6. In-a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a delivery ipe extending into the tank, a normally un alanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but-spaced therefrom and carrying a valve to control normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pi e but spaced 'therefrom and carrying a vave to control the inner open end of said pipe, a strut ar ranged in the tank to form a stop to limit the upward movements of the float, and a spring interposed between the strut and 8. In a separatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank aving a supply connec-, tion thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a delivery pipe 1 extending into the tank through the bottom thereof, a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom,a

valve within the float to control the inner open end of said pipe, and means to cushion the downward movements of the float.

9. In aseparatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank liaving asupply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a

delivery ipe extending into the tank, 9. normally un alanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom and carrying a valve to control the inner open end of said pipe, and an annular channel or depression formed in the lower end of the float.

10. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a delivery pipe extending into the tank, 9; nor- '-mally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delive pipe but spaced therefrom, avalve on the float to control the inner open end of said pipe, and means carried b the float to guide the same, in its up and own movements on said delivery pipe end. I v

11. In a separatin apparatus for treat:

, ing oil and gas, a tan having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, an Oil delivery pipe extending into the tan a a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spacedthe inner open end of said pipe, an auxiliary tank, and a connection from'the lower end of the main tank to said auxiliary tank.

13.'In"a separatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tan having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its to an oil delivery pipe extending into the a normally unbalanced float surrounding the.

inner open end of said pi the lower end of;

said tank bein restricte and having a delivery connectlon therefrom for Sand or other sediment, a receiving tank into which said delivery connection delivers, and a water supply connection extending, into said receiving tank.

14. In a separatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank aving a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, an oil deliveryipe extending into the tank, and a norma ly unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom, a valve on the float to control the inner open end of said pipe, said delivery pi havingga U-bend therein outside of sa1 tank.

15. In aseparatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank avmg a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its to deflector plates between said supply an said outlet, a float arranged within the tank and having a central space 0 en at the bottom and closed at the to a de ivery pi e extending into the cham r and into t e central space of said float, and a valve carried-by said float to control the inner open end of said pipe. 1

16. n a separatin apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank avlng a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in its top, a deliver pi e extending into the tank throng the ottom thereof, and a normally unbalanced float surrounding the inner end of said delivery pi but spaced therefrom and carryin a va ve to control the inner open end 0 said pipe, said float having a relief air valve at Its top.

17. In a'separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, and a gas-outlet in its top, a float arranged within the tank and havin a central space open at the bottom an closed at the top, a delivery pi extending into the chamber and receive within the central space of said float, and a valve carried b said float to control the inner open end 0 said pi e, the float having a relief air valve at the c osed end of said ace.

18. In a separating apparatus or treating oil and gas, a tank having a supply connection thereto, and a gas outlet in'its top, an.

oil delivery pipe extending into [the tank, a normally unbalanced float surrounding the,

inner end of-said delivery pipe but spaced therefrom and carry ng a valve to control the inner open'endof said pipe, the lower end of said tank being restricted and having a delive connection therefrom for sand or other so went, a receiving tank into which said delivery connection delivers, a watersupply connection extending into said receiving tank, and a relief air valve in the top of sai receiving tank;

- 19. In a separating apparatus for treating oil and gas, a tank having supply, gas outlet and oil outlet, connections, a float arranged to surround theoil outlet within the tank, valves carried on and operated by said float and respectively arranged to control the gas and oil outlet connections, and means 1? associated with the supply connection to said tank to reduce the pressure of such supply.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto seat our hands on this 26th day of May, A. D. 1 23.

'GUSTAVE A. OVERSTROM.

GEORGE OVEBSTROM. 

